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gladiator
A very good film with some very good acting and direction but let
down in two ways the first is the American accents with many of
the actors which lets down as i feel a more European feel to the
voices would of made it that much more of a film
The action has the same touch as seen in the great films the
Patriot and Zulu all three set aside some of the glamour of so
called action films to rebeal the truth about the era they potray
and this case how brutal roman society was with its cruel sports
and even the god like power given to its emperors who where often
known for there evil whims
its second failing was the opening battle which used to much
rapid camera movement sugguesting that much was cut from this
section and also the lack of tatics from the Germanians for which
that is down to not drawing out that aspect of the movie which
is a shame but sometimes facts have to give way in a film for
that which which makes a good film.
this is a film that everyone should have in there collection
as it is a timeless classic that never bores over time and always
offers something new eeach time it is watched
On the first disc of "Gladiator" you also find an audio
commentary track featuring director Ridley Scott, director of
photography John Mathison, and editor Pietro Scalia. The commentary
track is indexed by topics, pretty much like the film itself is
indexed by chapter stops. The commentary track is engaging and
offers a wealth of information on the production of the film.
In the best tradition of offering a "filmschool" of
DVD, this commentary becomes a little dry and technical at times,
but at the same time, the level of information and detail that
is conveyed will be absolutely mesmerizing for fans of the movie.
It explores many areas that are not obvious by simply observing
the film, revealing thoughts, subtext, as well as technical issues
that lead to certain creative decisions.
On the second disc of this 2-disc set, you will find a wealth
of other supplements that once again show, how seriously Dreamworks
takes the creation and presentation of bonus materials. Nothing
on this disc is superficial or superfluous and all of it is closely
tied into the production of the film, making sure viewers will
have a much better understanding and deeper appreciation for the
movie itself.
11 deleted scenes open the disc, with optional director's
commentary. Sadly they are presented in standard widescreen and
are not anamorphic, but still they are a collection of great snippets
that could just as well have made it into the film. At the end
you can see a collage of unused shots and sequences that have
been assembled specially for this DVD. Running for 7 minutes,
accompanied by music, this "Treasure Chest" is what
the name suggests. A treasure trove of great shots in an atmospheric
presentation.
The disc also features a 25-minute "Making Of" Documentary
that is very well produced. Although using some footage and narration
form the film itself for introductory purposes, this documentary
offers a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage as well as candid
on-set interviews with cast and crew. The documentary manages
to convey quite some of the awe for this monumental production
as well as for its innate logistic problems, and instead of taking
away form the magic of the movie itself, it adds a new layer of
appreciation.
Most interesting I found, "Gladiator Games," a 50-minute
documentary that focuses on the real gladiatorial games in the
Roman Empire. Being a Latin scholar myself, I have always been
fascinated by the Roman culture and their lust for excessive violence.
This documentary is thorough and shows the history behind what
you see in the movie and will leave you speechless.
Another feature on the disc is a segment on Hans Zimmer, discussing
how he composed the music for "Gladiator." It is a 20-minute
featurette that offers a rare glimpse in how a composer approaches
a film project of this scope to capture and revive the past in
tones and notes.
"My Gladiator Journal" by actor Spencer Treat Clark
is another great addition to the release. It is a text supplement
written by the young actor while he was working on the set of
"Gladiator." Through his eyes we manage to get a glimpse
at the production of the film in a very unique way and although
not as witty and outrageous as Jennifer Tilly's diary from
the "Bride Of Chucky" production - found in excerpts
on the Universal DVD - this is a very compelling and personal
feature that makes quite an impression.
The disc also houses a huge image gallery of story boards and
production design sketches, including story boards from a number
of scenes that were never shot, as well as boards for some alternate
endings. This gallery is complemented by a photo gallery of still
images from the movie as well as behind-the-scenes photos from
the set.
Running almost 3 hours, "Gladiator" gives you without
a doubt, the shortest 3 hours you have experienced in your life.
Even after its considerable running length I wanted more, and
the film almost felt too short. This is a very rare commodity
in a time where many epic films feel overly lengthy and poorly
paced. Ridley Scott proves with "Gladiator" that Hollywood
is still capable of producing classy entertainment on an epic
scale and furthermore that there is interest in these sorts of
monumental spectacles. With this DVD release, Dreamworks got everything
right. A perfect movie, a perfect presentation and an assembly
of the perfect supplements. Movies and DVDs just don't get
any better than this!
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